Many business owners, especially of smaller businesses, opt to write their own copy for their website. Perhaps they want more control on how their website turns out. Or perhaps they find professional copywriters too expensive.

In any case, deciding who will write the copy is an important decision for any website project. In this post we will explore what are the options, their pros and cons, and when to choose which option.

But before all that, we need to ask ourselves one question: Does good copy even matter? If not, then why hire a professional for it?

Let’s take a look.

Good copy has clarity and purpose

It communicates simply and eloquently what the user needs to hear. This is crucial for websites as the attention spans are so short. No one is going to read paragraph upon paragraph of why your business is so awesome. They don’t care. They want to hear what’s in it for them. And they want to hear it now.

Good copy is optimized for the web

Reading on the web is not the same as reading a book or a magazine. Most web users don’t actually read everything on the page. Instead, they do what’s called scanning. They scan the page and read the bits that are most relevant to them.

But for that to happen, there needs to be a certain structure, a certain web-friendly format:

  • There need to be headings with the right heading tags.
  • There need to be empty spaces.
  • There need to be smaller paragraphs instead of walls of text.
  • There need to be lists and images, placed strategically to break monotony.
  • The text width needs to be below a certain threshold, or else it causes strain to the eyes.
  • And more.

There are a lot of parts that go into this, and one needs to learn them in order to write good copy for the web.

Good copy is SEO friendly

Professionals use keywords in their copy, to make it more visible on search results. They optimize its HTML, so search engines favor it.

But even beyond that, good copy is more useful to readers. As such, they are more likely to share it with others, or give it a backlink, both of which improve visibility.

Good copy is more engaging

Good copy engages readers, which is great for many reasons.

  • For one, It makes you look more credible. In contrast, poorly written copy make you seem low-end and unreliable.
  • The users have a better experience, an experience they associate with your brand (as the website is an extension of your brand). They are more likely to actually read if the copy is engaging them. If not, they will likely lose patience and bounce to a competitor.

These are only a few of the benefits of good copy, that illustrate how important it is for professional websites. So then, as a business owner, what are your options?

Write the copy yourself

Pros

  • It’s cheaper
  • You have greater control of what’s on your website
  • You know your business, your niche, best

Cons

  • Time consuming
  • It might not convert
    (Even if you are a great writer, writing for the web has its own tricks and quirks.)
  • SEO gets overlooked

A Copywriter writes the copy

Pros

  • Has higher engagement metrics and conversions
  • Is optimized for SEO
  • Saves you time
  • Professionals work faster, they can meet tight deadlines more easily.
  • Makes you look credible and professional

Cons

  • Can be expensive
  • Might not understand your business, or your niche, as well as you
  • Can still take time to communicate with them

A Mixed Approach

A third option is a more collaborative one. It can involve you writing a draft which then the copywriter edits so it flows better, and it’s more web-friendly. This approach combines your knowledge and expertise on the subject with the copywriter’s professional skills, and can be worth exploring if you are looking for quality at a more affordable price.

Or you can hire a copywriter for certain, sales-critical pages of your website, instead of them writing everything. For example, if you are running ads, you would definitely want the landing pages to have strong copy.

You could even have them write just certain important parts of a page, instead of writing the whole page. The downside, of course, is that the writing might lack consistency. But it might still be worth considering if hiring a copywriter is otherwise not an option.

Conclusion

Which option should you go for, then? Ultimately, the decision is up to you. That said, here are some extra tips to help you decide:

TLDR:

Write your own copy if:

  • You are very tight on budget.
  • It’s a personal/hobby project. Think of a blog.
  • The stakes are low.
  • SEO is not a consideration.
  • You are a professional writer yourself. You should still know how to write for the web, or work together with someone who does.

Hire a professional if:

  • You are a business in a competitive market and you can afford it.
  • You want to maximize user engagement and conversions.
  • There’s high ROI (return on investment) from converting visitors to clients.
  • SEO is a big part of your marketing strategy.

Opt for a mixed approach if:

  • You are on a tight budget but still want to maximize user engagement.
  • It’s a professional website, and you rely on it for conversions and sales.
  • You are in a very specialized business and feel copywriters don’t understand the subject enough to write about it on their own. Think of a doctor or a lawyer, for example.
  • You want a mix of personality and professionalism.

Ready to launch your website? We’ll team up to create copy that speaks to your audience, and keeps them coming back.